And I did use it the following spring. It was a hit at Passover. Folding beaten egg whites into a mixture of yolks, sugar and chocolate creates a cakelike chocolate shell that’s filled with a mixture of fresh berries upon cooling. Topped with fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate, it’s a beauty. If you prefer to keep it milk-free, you can swap out the whipped cream with a nondairy substitute.

Looking for a quick dessert to bring to a get-together, my friend Candice found Martha Stewart’s “Chocolate Pudding Cake.” With chocolate, sugar and eggs, it’s a shoo-in for any dessert table — Passover or year-round.

There’s a place at my table for traditional Passover desserts, too, like meringues and macaroons. They’re just better when they are homemade.

Nothing says spring like meringue baskets filled with lemon curd and topped with berries. Cooking Light magazine taught me that several years ago with its recipe for “Pistachio Pavlovas With Lemon Curd and Berries.” Now it’s a must-have on my Passover dessert list. Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer to beat the egg whites makes the meringues virtually effortless.

Coconut macaroons are a staple of Passover. Flourless, the sweet mounds of coconut are simple to make. But there are those among us who dislike coconut or find the macaroons too syrupy-sweet. Williams-Sonoma’s “Rose Water Macaroons” changed the opinion of the biggest coconut skeptic I know — my husband. Maybe it was the subtle flavor of rose water — I found it at a Mediterranean market — or maybe it was starting with a large amount of unsweetened coconut rather than the presweetened kind that caught his taste buds. These macaroons cook up with a crisp exterior.

Now I know what you’re thinking: Who has time to make all of this? I’m preparing brisket and matzo ball soup, and now you want homemade dessert? Forget it.

But don’t. I promise you, the effort is worth it. Make the meringues and macaroons a day ahead. Get the kids to stand watch over the mixer. Or, if guests are bringing dessert, don’t be afraid to swap recipes and send suggestions.